Pneumatic elevator.



No. 667,l69. .s. w. HICKS.

FNElJEiA'i'H') ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Sept 18, 1900.)

Patented Ian. 29, MIL

(N0 Nodei.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN W. HICKS, OF LEWISVILLE, ARKANSAS.

PNEUMATIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,169, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed September 18 1900. Serial No. 80,416. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Lewisville, in the county of Lafayette and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cotton-elevators of the class in which seed-cotton is carried from the Wagon or storehouse to the gins by a current of air produced in a pipe orflue of suitable size and suitably arranged. The seedeotton as it comes from the gin-house or from the wagon is filled with sand, dust, and other foreign matter, which should be separated from the cotton before it reaches the gins.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for this purpose, and in carrying out my invention I interpose between the opposite ends of the flue a separator comprising a flue through which the cotton passes and a box or trough which receives the sand, dust, &c., from the cotton while passing through the separating-flue. The separating-flue is a continuation of the usual line, and between it and the trough ordust-box is a partition of wire-c1oth,over which the cotton passes and through which the dust, &c.,

fall. \Vithin the flue are arranged at suitable distances apart a series of vertical sheets of wire-cloth, against whichthe cotton as it passes through the fine strikes and by which it is made to take a zigzag course, which effectually shakes and stirs itand causes it to deposit its dust into the dust-trough below. The dust-trough is divided in such manner that air-currents are prevented from circulating in it, and provision is made for opening and cleaning the dust-trough whenever desired.

Further details of construction will be described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cotton-elevator flue with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a portion of the separating-flue and dust-trough made in ac- Fig. 3 is a detailed view, in longitudinal section, through a portion of thcsoparator-fiue and dust-trough. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the separatorilue, the top being removed.

The portions A and B of the pneumatic elevator-fine may be of ordinary .construc-' tion. The portion A is adapted to pass to a wagon brought to the gin-house with seedcotton or to be connected to a storehouse where cotton has been stored ready for ginning. To the end B of the line may be connected gin-feeders ordistributers of wellknown construction. Ordinarily between the points a: and y of Fig. 1 the line isa plane passage through which the seed-cotton filled with sand, dirt, &c., passes and is delivered to specially-constructed apparatus for separating impurities oriforeign matter; but between the points at and y of the tine I inter pose myimproved conveying and separating arrangements, and thus render unnecessary the use of specially-cpnstructed separators at 'the end of the elevating-flue.

My improved apparatus consists of two main partsthe conveying and separating flue C and the dirt trough or box D. These two main parts are separated in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 bya partition of wirecloth E, which extends from end to endot the fine 0 and trough D and also from side to side thereof. preferably of the same width and length; but

The flue O and trough D are the flue C is preferably somewhat higher than the trough D. The bottom of the flue 0 consists of the wirecloth E, as before stated. The sides F F are solid, while the top preferably consists of doors G, hinged and hooked, as indicated. The trough D has a bottom H, doubly inclined from the central line It to opposite sides, while the sides of the trough are closed by strips Iand swinging doors J,hinged to the strips I. In order to connect the flue C and trough D together, strips K, extending longitudinally across the joint between the sides F, and strips I may be employed and may be firmly secured in place by screws 'or otherwise.

The trough D is divided up into sections by slanting boards L, which extend across the trough from one side t5 the other andalso from the lower end of the trough to the upper end thereof in contact with the wirecloth partition E. These boards L preferably incline forwardly at an angle of about forty-five degrees. I

As-the cotton passes through the flue C sand, dust, &c., will sift through the meshes of the wire-cloth E into the compartments in the dust-trough formed by the boards J and will slide down the inclined bottom pieces H 5 of the trough and collect near the doors J. These doors may be opened to remove the dirt when required but ordinarily they are kept closed; as nearly air-tight as ossible, as it is important that a vacuum s ould he [0 formed in the dust-trough in order that the dust mayfall into it. Ifthe dust-trough were continuous and were not interrupted by the boards J, a current of air would be produced in the trough, which would defeat the pur- 1'5 pose of the apparatus. For instance, refer- I ring to Fig. 1, if the air entering in the planner indicated by the arrow should pass through the screen at this end of the apparatus into the dust-trough a current would be drawn through the. dust-trough, extending the entire length thereof, and then pass out througnthe end B of the fine; but the 'boards J interrupt such a current, and, in -fact, prevent the formation of such a current in the'apparat-ns. In order to more effectually separate the sand, dust, and other impurities from the cotton as it passes through the dust-flue, I arrange in the flue over the wire-cloth partition E a series of vertical rev ticulated deflectoi's,\vhich cause the cottonto move through a zigzag course, first striking one' side of the flue and then the, other, causbig it to most effectually deliver up the sand, du'st,'and such like impurities that it con- Ltains'. These reticulated deflectors M-are preferablyarranged asshown in perspective view in Fig.2. The first deflector, located :rangfidt'on the right-hand side of the apparatus and consists of a piece of wire-cloth egtending vertically from the horizontal par- LtitiOAE to the top of the flue. The front end of the wire-cloth M is secured in any suit able way to the end of the side piece F,while the inner end of the wire-cloth M is secured to'the end of a board 772, which projects laterally out from the side piece F and holds the end; of the wire-cloth a considerable distance from the side piecethat is to say, the deflector M is arranged diagonally across the entrance to the flue, and the cotton entering theflue is caused to strike against this inclineddeflector and caused to move in an inclined direetion toward the opposite side of the flue. in like manner alternately on opposite sides of the flue C from one end thereof to the other, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus the cotton as it passes through the separating-flue is enabled to shake out the dirt at the bottom through the partition E, while the dirt at the sides is caused to pass through the de fiectors M. The deflectors M are so disposed that each one of them is arranged to slant toward the central portion of the next succeeding deflector, so that when the cotton abuts against a deflector it is guided in such mania't the point a: of Fig. 1, is preferably ar-- Similar deflectors M are arrangednor as to thereafter abut against the next succeeding deflector.

It will be noted that the construction is 7 such that thedeflectors M and boards m form chambers N at each deflector, which communicate with the chambers of the dust-trough through openings in the wire-cloth partition, as indicated in Fig. 4, the construction being such that no currents of air are allowed to circulate in the chambers N, but there is a vacuum in them sufficient to allow the dirt to pass into themand' drop down through them into the main dust-trough below. A cotton-elevator made in accordance with my invention may be economically constructed, and when once pntin place will be found to operate efliciently and to require but little repair, while not requiring any power to operate it.

The apparatus may be applied to pneumatic cotton-elevators already in use by sim-- ply taking out a section of the flue and'sub stituting a section of flue made in accordance with my invention.

I claim as my invention- 11A pneumatic elevator for cotton, com- 'prising a separating-flue, a dust-box below it,

a partition between the dust-box and the separating-flue, and a series of wire-cloth deflectors arranged in the fine alternately on opposite'sides thereof, and having chambers behind them communicating with the dust-box through openings in the partition, each of said deflectors being arranged to slant toward the central portion of the next succeeding deflector whereby the cotton is caused to strike or abut against the deflectors successively, and the dust is therebyshaken out of the cotton and caused to pass into the dustbox through the communications between the dust-106x and the chambers behind the deflectors.

2. The combination of the separating-flue through which the cotton passes, a dusttrough below this flue, having a bottom made of oppositely-inclined boards, a series of inclined boards extending from the bottom of the trough to the top thereof and arranged at suitable distances apart to divide the trough in to compartments, and deflectors in the separating-flue which cause the cotton to move through a zigzag course while being elevated.

3. The combination of the separating-flue, the dust-trough below the separating-flue, divided into sections, a partition of reticulated material between the dust-trough and the separating-fine, and a series of deflectors in the separating-flue having vacuum-chambers behind them communicating with the dusttrongh.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN W. HICKS.

Witnesses:

O. W. HARDY, O. W. FoosE. 

